A Fool Would Call It Fate
by Geiera
Summary: Normally, Shiina would classify something as 'cute' immediately. With Naoi, it took some time.


**Title:** A Fool Would Call It Fate

**Series:** Angel Beats!

**Summary: **Normally, Shiina would classify something as 'cute' immediately. With Naoi, it took some time.

**Warning(s): **Spoilers until Episode 7. And very silly.

**A/N: **The premise for this is pretty random. Don't take it too seriously…

**XXXXXXX**

Everyone was gathered together, staring at Yuri with the same expectant look. If she felt intimidated, which as far as Shiina knew Yuri never did, it certainly didn't show.

Sheltered by the veil of shadow near the door, Shiina watched the SSS members grow agitated, their eyes flickering from the passive Yuri to the small yet dangerous boy sitting on the couch. If she hadn't seen him drenched in their blood only hours ago, the ninja would've simply overlooked his meek stance and thin frame.

Yuri sighed, loudly.

"I guess you guys aren't okay with it then?"

Like a switch had been turned on, Noda and Fujimaki both stood, their respective weapons held in a vice grip. The tension was palpable and Shiina felt a fight brewing – if one person teetered towards the edge, it would be chaos.

"Some would consider this undermining my leadership," Yuri lamented with another sigh.

"I apologize, Yuri," Fujimaki said, his shoulders held high and rigid, "but everyone is thinking it."

Noda didn't say anything, but he raised his halberd and slashed it in Naoi's direction: his intent clear.

"I know that redemption is another human concept, but can't you consider trying it for once?" Yuri swung her legs off the desk and turned towards the window. Shiina knew her well enough to know that this was for effect, another of their leader's subtle tactics. "And besides, we're all still standing right?"

The dark humor towards death wasn't lost on Shiina. It was the other's way of coping with reality, hiding their terror and uncertainty. Not all of them had her will to overcome, to conquer.

The boy dressed in black did not look up, even once, for the rest of the meeting. Whatever words he'd been reserving were probably the same arrogant rants on God he'd used to taunt them all. Although she prided herself on restraint, it was, admittedly, difficult for her to keep the sneer off her face.

He was undeniably flawed and lethal, and Shiina vowed to keep an eye on him.

**XXXXXX**

She never saw what Otonashi, the boy without memories, did to Naoi in the rain. Shiina had been preoccupied with the gunshots through her torso and the steady flow of blood to the ground, and when she finally overcame the momentary fear and was able to stand and focus, it was all over. She went to lick her wounds in the storage room, away from prying eyes, and trained until the wounds healed over and stopped leaking.

They were having another meeting, an informal one on changing the name of this place. While the others argued, she watched Naoi.

He was sitting to Otonashi's left and, she noticed with a raised eyebrow, was sitting very close to the other boy. The more jovial members like Hinata draped themselves over anyone and everyone, but she thought Naoi would be more distant.

Maybe they had a bond of some sort.

It almost reminded her of a child holding his mother's hand in a crowded grocery store, and the way Naoi folded his hands in his lap was so proper and disciplined. He did look remarkably young, dressed in clothes that seemed too big for him, too formal. Under it all, he had small, narrow shoulders.

Naoi glanced at Otonashi and Otonashi grinned back, reassuring. The exchange was so brief and shy and innocent and cu-

"Shiina? Are you alright?" Hinata asked as the ninja began choking.

"Shallow," she muttered to herself, and at Hinata's puzzled look, she repeated herself. "_Shallow_."

It was a mistake, and she cursed herself for noticing just how wide his golden eyes were and how his lips were-

She needed to train. _Now._

**XXXXXX**

Balancing the broom initially took her awhile, but once it was up, it wasn't coming down.

"I'm bored," Hinata announced, stretching on the couch until his shoulders cracked. Most of the members were off causing the usual mayhem, but some of the teams had finished early. Hinata and Naoi were unhappily sharing the couch; the space between them was large and Shiina tried not to look at Naoi, not even a casual glance.

Hinata was staring to his left, a devious grin spreading on his tan face. For once, Shiina hoped he could restrain himself from doing something impossibly stu-

"What's with the hat?"

Naoi was silent and Shiina was not interested. Not at all.

"It's not part of the normal uniform, right? So why're you wearing it?" Hinata laughed a little to himself. "You look like a train conductor…"

Naoi remained silent.

Shiina was staring, pointedly, at her shoes. The broom did not waver.

And then Hinata made a grab for it. There was a lot of noise and flailing limbs and Hinata hit the floor with a hard thud, Naoi's hat in one hand, the other clawing at thin air.

"T-This coffee table! Two more legs than a human and twice the strength! How it supports all of our necessities! I'm unworthy, unworthy to be in its presence!" Hinata began to grovel, scurrying beneath the table to 'relieve it of its burden'. Hypnotism was a terrifying thing and Shiina fingered the weapons hidden on her person, ready to react if-

His usually neat dark hair was ruffled by the struggle, the ends sticking up. It was tousled and crumpled, and there was a frown on his lips as he tried to pat it down. The ends were beginning to curl right behind his ears and he was missing a few places and-

The broom teetered and Shiina worked to correct it, all the while making an effort not to think of his pale skin and the contrast with his dark hair and golden eyes and-

She was better than this. She could overcome this-

Naoi began to pout and the broom fell.

Shiina jumped out the window before she could do something really, _really _stupid.

**XXXXXX**

"Shiina? Hey, Shiina?"

Yuri, their illustrious leader, was talking right at her and Shiina tried to focus. The image came out a little fuzzy because Naoi was standing _right there_ and the damp air of the underground made his pale skin flush and-

"Yes?"

Yuri frowned, hands on her hips. They were going down to the new Guild location and, as predicted, they failed to deactivate the traps. Shiina needed to be on her best game, to prove herself as a warrior.

"Don't drift off on me, okay? We need you." Yuri chastised lightly with a good-natured wink.

Shiina nodded, but her stomach continued to twist into knots as Naoi stumbled after Otonashi.

The first few traps were easy to avoid and felt distinctly outdated. This was an older facility and they were still getting it up to the appropriate standard. No loses so far, which was good because Shiina wasn't sure if Yuri could whether another massacre like last time without snapping. Idly, she wondered if Yuri knew of just how much she cared for them all and wanted to protect them, especially their newest member who was just so c-

Otonashi tripped the next trap and he could barely shout out a warning as the walls began to crumble and a stone mallet descended upon them all and-

Naoi wasn't going to make it.

NAOI WASN'T GOING TO-

She took off like lighting, shrugging aside the falling rumble from the ceiling and the weaving through the others with all her skill and speed and training because she was _made for this_-

They hit the ground together and she cushioned his impact, taking the fall hard on her shoulder with Naoi pressed against her chest. He gasped but it was cut off by the massive _noise _the mallet made when it impacted the opposite wall, just where Naoi's head had been moments ago.

She would wait for the dust to clear and then let him go.

It was such a shame because he fit so nicely, curled up against her chest like a child being comforted from a nightmare. His hands were fisted in the fabric of her uniform, knuckles white and shaking. He didn't make any more noises, but he was breathing so fast and she could hear the _thump thump thu-_

"Ummm…Shiina?"

She blinked up at Yuri and, instinctively, held him tighter. Whatever cruel God existed must've made this poor, sweet, _adorable _boy to be held and lov-

"You can let him go now," Yuri said uncomfortably. Behind her, Otonashi looked like his was going to short-circuit.

Shiina looked down at Naoi. She couldn't see anything wrong with practically smothering the small boy.

Still, she thought it over.

"No."

Naoi started to flail around. She held him tighter.

**XXXXXX**

"I thought her weakness was just puppies," Otonashi admitted to Yuri on the rooftop. Although a few days had passed, he still felt a little shell-shocked. The only way they managed to get Shiina off Naoi was with some clever hypnotism.

Yuri smirked. "Apparently not. Is he still traumatized?"

With a blank stare, he turned to her and replied, "Well, considering they haven't been in the same room…?"

Her smirk grew wider. "Shiina can't balance her broom for five minutes without cracking."

He blanched. "Umm… _Wow._"

"You can say one thing about this world," Yuri said, pushing herself off the railing with a flourish. "There's never a dull moment."

Otonashi couldn't decide if that was a good thing or not.

**XXXXXX**


End file.
